Clarke and Lexa-From The Beginning
by Vani-18
Summary: Hey everyone, this is my first fanfiction ever so don't judge too hard lol. The love between Clarke and Lexa is very unique and beautiful, and I've been reading their stories on here for a while before deciding to write something of my own. So I hope you all like it and feel free to comment if you want! Enjoy!
1. First Meet

Clarke doesn't really know what to expect when she arrives at the Grounder camp. The only reason she's even here is because she has faith that Abby, her mother, can turn Lincoln back from being a reaper. They don't know how exactly, since they have no idea what drugs the Mountain Men used on him. The detox process alone could kill him in a heartbeat. But Clarke can't afford to think that way because if Abby truly isn't capable of returning his humanity, their people will be dead before the afternoon.

As she passes through the camp, tattooed faces stare at her with pure hatred and disgust. Some even spit in her direction while others throw the words of their language at her, not that she can understand them, but Clarke can only imagine how unpleasant they are.

"Wamplei kom hogeda skai kru!" (Death to all sky people)

"Ripa!" (Murderer)

She is led up a small hill overlooking the land between the Grounder camp and the Ark. When she gets close to the designated tent, a large and muscular Grounder with tattoos all around his face steps in front of her, his eyes giving away all the contempt and loathing he feels for her.

"If you so much as look at her the wrong way," he hisses, "I will slit your throat."

Clarke doesn't respond, but the threat sends a chill down her spine.

He moves aside and opens the tent flap. Clarke walks in cautiously, jaw clenched, while he follows. Standing just on the inside is a Grounder whose face is hidden behind a mask that only shows his eyes. The next person that comes in her line of vision is a dark woman with an equal amount of scars and ink on her face. Her hand clenches the hilt of a sword and the look she gives Clarke is frightening. But Clarke will not let any of these people see her fear, because the strength she shows now can mean the difference between life and death for her and her people.

Clarke slides her eyes to the left of the woman to finally look at the Grounder who will decide her fate.

Sitting back on a wooden throne and toying with a jagged-edged knife, the Commander watches Clarke's every move with cold, calculating eyes. Her long brown hair is tied back to express the face paint she proudly wears. Power seeps from her veins, though Clarke is surprised by her youth, assuming that the Grounders had someone much older giving the orders to slaughter her people. If anything, that makes this girl all the more dangerous, and she doesn't seem to be a day over seventeen.

Her beauty is dark, yet exquisite.

"So," Lexa says slowly, looking down at her knife as Clarke halts a couple of feet from where she sits, "you're the one who burned three hundred of my men alive."

It wasn't a question. There wasn't a single doubt that Clarke was the leader.

Shoulders stiff, Clark replied coolly, "You're the one who sent them there to kill us in the first place."

Lexa's dark green eyes finally met Clarke's blue ones with intensity. There isn't so much hatred as there is curiosity. There is dislike, of course, but also the question of how this situation can affect her people. She cocks her head slightly to the side, assessing Clarke.

"Do you have an answer for me" she asks stoically, "Clarke of the Sky People?"

"Yes," says Clarke, taking a deep breath. "I've come to make you an offer."

Lexa smirks humorlessly, as if the thought of Clarke's words being useful in any way is laughable. "You seem to be under the impression that this is a negotiation, but it is not."

The dark woman next to her mutters something in Grounder language, but Lexa holds up a hand, and she respectfully falls silent.

"I have found a way to beat the Mountain Men," says Clarke.

A spark of interest reaches Lexa's eyes, and she nods for Clarke to continue, still twisting the knife idly between her fingers.

"They have captured hundreds of your people, keeping them locked away in small cages. Their blood is being used as a kind of medicine to cure the people inside the Mountain when they are injured or ill."

Anger flashes across Lexa's face. "How have you come to know this?" she snarls with barely controlled anger.

"Because I've seen them. Some of my people are imprisoned there as well. I was among them only days ago—"

"Lies!" says the woman to Lexa's right. "No one escapes the mountain and lives."

"But I did," Clarke insists, and she says what she hopes will help the Commander believe her, "with Anya."

Lexa seems to be thrown off by these words, for her eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"We fought our way out together—"

"Another lie!" interrupts the tattooed Grounder woman. "Anya died in the fire that your people lit. _You_ killed her."

Clarke reaches inside her pocket for the very proof that will show Lexa the truth, but before she can pull it out, she hears the kiss of metal against metal behind her, and realizes the man who followed her in has pulled out his sword.

No attack follows, so Clarke slowly takes her hand out of her pocket, clenching the braid she cut from Anya's head after she died. Lexa's eyes follow her every move, though her expression has gone back to a blank stare. "She told me you were her second before you became the Commander," Clarke says, "I'm sure she'd want you to have this."

She takes a few steps toward Lexa, eyeing the woman next to her, who makes no immediate move to stop Clarke. When Lexa reaches out to receive this gift, something close to pain flashes through her eyes while she gently caresses the braid.

"We have no idea if it is even hers—"

"Shof op, Indra!" Lexa says impatiently, and her second in command falls silent. "Anya was my mentor, before I was called to lead my people." She sets the braid down gently, refusing to look up. "Did she die well?"

"Yes, by my side," says Clarke, and with those words, Lexa's head lifts, and her eyes burn with intensity. "She was trying to get a message to you."

"What message?" Lexa snaps.

"There is only one way for us to save our people, and that is if we work with each other. Put our strength and intelligence together so we can fight the Mountain Men and get our people back."

Indra scoffs. "Those who are about to die will say anything. You are speaking the words of desperation."

Lexa ignores her. "I'm still waiting for an offer, Clarke kom skai kru."

This is it. Clarke is careful with her next words, for the impact they hold is everything. "Those of your people who have not been used for their blood are suffering something very different, if not worse. The Mountain Men are turning them into Reapers, controlling their animosity with some kind of drug. But—I can turn them back."

"Impossible!" Indra snarls angrily. "Heda, ai beg yu teik ai frag em op nau—" (Commander, I beg you let me kill her now)

"I've done it already," Clarke insists, "with Lincoln."

This seems to be the last straw for Indra. She lurches forward until her face is only inches from Clarke's and growls, "That traitor is the reason why my people were slaughtered in that village!"

"Indra!" Lexa warns, but she does not stop.

"He should bare the cuts of every person in that village and his head should be removed from his body to be placed on a plate for my Heda's satisfaction—"

"Pleni!" Lexa shouts, getting to her feet with dangerous precision.

Indra backs away from Clarke immediately, but the loathing in her eyes is something Clarke has never seen before. There is so much hatred there, though it is rightly placed. Clarke did burn three hundred Grounders, but it was to save the lives of her people. Still, Lincoln's head doesn't seem to be the only one Indra wants on a plate.

Indra takes position on the opposite side of the tent, needing to be as far away from Clarke as possible if she wants to abide the words of her Commander. Lexa, on the other hand, looks Clarke hard in the eyes as she takes a couple of steps forward until they are but a foot apart.

"You say you can turn reapers back into men?" she asks coolly.

Clarke nods. "Yes."

"Then prove it," Lexa hisses. "Show me Lincoln, and if he has indeed been turned back into a man, we shall discuss a truce."

"You will have to follow me," Clarke says slowly, hoping Lexa doesn't think she's trying to trick her into an ambush of some kind.

Lexa nods her agreement, and motions with her hand for Clarke to walk out of the tent first.

"Indra, Gustus, choose gonakru kom follow," she commands when they're outside. Both walk away at once to gather more grounders. The thought of them following makes Clarke nervous, but she'd be a fool to think that the Commander would go anywhere without reinforcements.

"You are brave to have come here alone," Lexa notes, falling into stride beside Clarke as they leave the grounder camp.

"I didn't really have a choice in the matter. You were about to send your people to slaughter mine," says Clarke tightly.

"But is it not only fair? After what you did to three hundred of my best warriors?" Lexa questions, not in a hateful way, but as if she's honestly curious as to how Clarke sees the situation.

Clarke looks at her in surprise. "Because you _sent_ them there to kill us! I will admit, we did blow up that bridge and kill some of your people, but _that_ was the cause of Anya wanting all of us dead for simply landing on grounder territory." Now that Clarke has started, she doesn't seem able to stop. "When we crashed here from the Ark, it was because we were sent here by our parents to see if Earth was habitable again. We were slowly dying up there, and needed to find another way to keep the human race alive."

"But we are here," says Lexa, "and the human race has been surviving for far more years than I have been alive."

"We had no way of knowing that from up in space," Clarke says pointedly.

Lexa doesn't respond, and there is silent for quite some time. Clarke can't hear the grounders on their trail, but one glance behind her back shows a furious Indra, a protective Gustus, and many more. Clarke clenches her jaw, hoping desperately that her mother has turned Lincoln back into a man.

5


	2. Truce Requirements

Chapter Two:

Lexa's POV

Lexa and the grounders are led by Clarke through the murky forest, sidestepping outstretched branches and low-hanging trees. The trek is much too slow for Lexa's liking and patience; she requires quick movement to reach her destination. Clarke must be trying to give her people more time to prepare for their arrival. It matters little, for if Lincoln is still a reaper, she will not hesitate to make the death call for the skai kru.

As they walk, Clarke glances back often, meeting Lexa's green eyes with her sparkling blue ones. There is fear in them, yes, but also a strength to save her people that Lexa finds herself admiring in the blonde girl. For that, she questions her thoughts. She should not be admiring anything Clarke does; they are enemies. Concentration is of the upmost importance right now.

None of the grounders so much as whisper during the trek through the forest, save for Indra stating her issues of mistrust to Lexa. She doesn't try to keep her voice down either; Clarke is meant to hear her every word.

"Heda, is it wise to follow skai gada so blindly? She could be leading us into an ambush!"

This incessant badgering has begun to anger Lexa. How dare Indra question her so? "Do you not trust my intuition, Indra?" she snaps, her patience lessening. "Do you think that I would blindly lead my people to their deaths?"

"No, Heda," Indra retracts, worried that she might have disrespected her Commander. "I simply worry for the sake of—"

"Pleni," says Lexa dismissively. She understands where her second in command is coming for, but Lexa is Commander of the Trigedakru, and will not put the lives of her people at risk without having understood all the stakes.

Indra finally falls silent. Another glance back shows Clarke's surprise, if not a slight amount of awe, for the power Lexa has over her people. This satisfies Lexa to some extent, knowing that Clarke seems to hold a level of admiration for her.

When they close in on the drop ship, Clarke's anxiety seeps off her as she leads them forward, keeping her head down. At first Lexa thinks this is because of Lincoln, but the sight that meets her eyes is something she did not expect. There are hundreds of the burned, fleshless corpses of her people, all strewn about. Mouths wide to expose rotted teeth, the deadened faces are painful to see, and especially for Lexa to know that their spirits are trapped without the proper blessings of her culture.

The grounders say nothing, even as they stare at the bodies of their fallen warriors. Clarke slows down to meet Lexa's eyes, which they are narrow and assessing as she looks all around her before privileging Clark with her hard, green stare.

"Through here," Clarke murmurs, motioning towards the thick tarp that serves as a door. Lexa makes a slight hesitation, but Clarke doesn't wait for her reply. She walks into the drop ship without turning around again and disappears. Lexa beckons for Indra, Gustus, and one other grounder to follow her inside, and commands the rest.

"Ste and stand guard!"

Meanwhile Clarke begins to climb up the ladder that will lead to her friends. But once her head peaks up, Clarke notices immediately that something isn't right. Octavia is silently sobbing over Lincoln's lifeless body while Abby, Bellamy, Finn, and the grounder healer, Nyko, stare down at them. Bellamy catches Clarke's eye and shakes his head no, jaw clenched when he sees those following her up the ladder.

Lexa climbs up the ladder swiftly and scans the room. None of the sky people dare speak while she stares down at Lincoln, noting that he is not breathing. Indra's eyes dart from one person to the next, bent in a fighting stance with her hand on the hilt of her sword. For a moment, there is only silence. Then Lexa meets Clarke's gaze impassively before nodding her head ever so slightly to Indra, who snarls, "Kill them all!"

Everyone is in motion. The grounders all pull out their swords and point them directly at the sky people, while Bellamy lunges for his gun and Abby reaches for her stun rod.

Clarke pleads with Lexa in desperation. "Please, you don't have to do this."

"You lied," she snarls, "and you're out of time."

Hand on her hilt, Lexa makes the move to unsheathe her own weapon, when a shocking event occurs. Abby raises her stun rod high in the air, and, before anyone can do anything, he presses it aggressively down on Lincoln's chest. His body seizes for a second before going slack, so Clarke commands, "Hit him again!"

Abby does it once more, and Lexa doesn't understand why until finally, Lincoln's eyelids flutter and he intakes shaky, desperate breaths of air.

Octavia throws herself down next to him, caressing his face and whispering his name while tears slide down her face. He looks at her through heavy red eyes and croaks, "Octavia."

Lexa and her people are stunned, for Lincoln was indeed dead, and now he is not. People do not come back from the dead, Lexa is certain of this. Her head slowly rises until she looks at Clarke, who also seemed to be slightly shocked.

"How did that happen?" Indra voices Lexa's thoughts, her voice raspy with disbelief.

Abby is the one to respond. "It's called shock therapy," she pants, tossing the stun rod to the ground. "It helps to restart the heart."

"But you cannot restart a heart that has stopped," says Lexa, still staring at Clarke.

" _We_ know how," she emphasizes intently, begging the Commander with her wet eyes not to harm her people.

Once Lexa has worked through her shock, she nods to Clarke and slowly replaces her sword to its original place, with the other grounders following suit.

It is Abby who speaks up. "So—what does this mean?" she asks Lexa, eyeing her with caution.

"Clarke has indeed proved that you can turn reapers back into men," Lexa states, staring back evenly. "I gave my word that we would discuss a truce, and that is what we shall do."

Abby gets to her feet and draws herself up to full measure. "Good. I think we should start with—"

Lexa raises her eyebrows in amusement and shakes her head before Abby could finish. "I will speak only to Clarke about it."

Abby doesn't try to hide her shock as she gives her daughter a look of disbelief. "She is not the Chancellor. It is not for her to discuss these important matters."

The Commander has no idea what a "chancellor" is, but she does know that Clarke is the leader of the Sky People. That much has been clear since they first landed on Earth. She stares intently at the woman who thinks she holds command over her people. "I will speak only to Clark about it," she repeats, "and I will not say it again."

"It's okay, Mom," Clarke assures her mother, who has opened her mouth once more to argue. It would be best if she doesn't; Lexa has very little patience for those who disobey her, whether they be her people or otherwise. "When would you like to talk about it, Commander?" asks Clarke, refocusing her attention back on Lexa.

"I must head back to camp and inform my warriors of the change of plans," she says, nodding for Indra and Gustus to retreat back down the ladder. "You will come with me, and then we will discuss the details of this truce."

Clarke nods her head in agreement. Now that the grounders no longer prove to be an imminent threat, she surprisingly looks forward to spending some time with the Commander.

3


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone, just a quick thing. I know it's slow but I really wanted to emphasize the story and all that came first before getting into the romance between Lexa and Clarke. I promise it'll come soon! I hope you like it and please give reviews if you can! I'd love to know what you think of it!

Chapter Three

When they reach the grounder camp hours later, Clarke follows the Commander into her tent, surprised that no one follows. At first, Abby was hesitant to let Clarke go by herself—Bellamy offered his company—but she knew that Lexa only wanted her presence when discussing the truce, and Clarke didn't want to be disrespectful.

Once inside, Lexa moves to sit at the head of a long, beautifully carved table with which there are battle plans and papers everywhere. She motions for Clarke to sit opposite her, and ignores the urge to have the Sky girl right beside her. This is business, after all.

"Lincoln's recovery was…very impressive," admits Lexa, once Clarke has sat down. "No one has survived such a fate before."

"It's not that complicated," Clarke says. "We simply have to keep them alive long enough for the drug to leave their system completely. I know we can do the same for others."

Lexa nods.

"There might be more that we can offer you."

Lexa raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Clarke frowns. "We've advanced considerably with medicine since living up in space. If we come to a truce between our people, I'd be more than happy to show you."

There are things Lexa would like to show Clarke as well, though she chooses not to speak up on the matter. "I have noticed," she says coolly, regaining her indifference. One thing Lexa has learned how to do is mask her emotions, refusing to let them reach the surface. For people to see that side of the Commander is the biggest weakness she could ever show. "You may have your truce."

Clarke visibly relaxes, relief spreading across her face as she smiles. "Thank you."

"I just need one thing in return."

"Anything," Clarke says..

"My people want vengeance for the slaughter of our village."

Something horrible flashes in Clarke's eyes when she realizes the true meaning behind Lexa's words. "No," she whispers.

"Yes," Lexa says defiantly. "Deliver me the one you call Finn. Our truce begins…with his death."

"But—" The blonde seems to be at a loss for words, her face is so heartbroken. It takes more than Lexa realizes not to change her mind.

"Jus drein jus daun. Blood must have blood, Clarke. That boy murdered children and elders in his rage for retribution. It will not stand; I will not allow it."

"There has to be something else," she pleads desperately, fixing Lexa with watery blue eyes.

"My people want nothing else." The Commander stands up swiftly and turns her back to Clarke so as not to look at her sadness. "You may go now."

For a moment, there is only silence. But finally Clarke leaves the tent, holding in everything that threatens to explode from her. Two grounders in masks follow her back to the Ark, riding on horses. She feels that they're only following to wait on Finn's release, which isn't going to happen. Not if Clarke can find something else, _anything._

.

Once at the Ark, gates open and Bellamy rushes out to meet her, followed closely by Finn.

"Hey," he says, worry etched all over his face. "What did she say? Is there a chance for peace?"

"Close the gates!" she calls instead, and grabs Finn's arm a little too roughly. "You shouldn't be out here," Clarke whispers to him, and heads immediately for the med center where her mother will surely be. Inside, they find Abby, Raven, Octavia, and a restrained but normal Lincoln. Safety measures.

"Thank god you're okay," Abby says, pulling her in for a tight hug. "What happened?"

Clarke swallows thickly, refusing the emotions. "They want Finn. Once they have him, we can have a truce."

Raven gasps. "Well they can't have him," she growls.

"For the village," says Finn, nodding slowly. "Blood for blood."

Clarke doesn't meet his eyes. "Raven, take Finn to corridor B."

"Clarke?" he says, staring intently at her. The last thing he wants to do is leave her side right now. But Raven abides Clarke's words and takes his hand, pull him away.

Once they're gone, Lincoln speaks up, his voice hoarse. "Did she leave riders behind?"

"Two, just outside the gate."

"They're waiting for him. You don't have very long to decide. There is no other way," he admits.

"How can she expect us to give up one of our own people?" Octavia asks him incredulously. "Would she really do that?"

"She wouldn't let the rest of her people die to protect a murderer," he argues. "If you don't do it, she'll make sure everyone in this camp dies."

"There must be something else we can offer her," Abby urges, "something she'll want more."

Lincoln raises his eyebrows at her. "Finn took eighteen innocent lives," he recounts. "The Commander only wants one in return. Take the deal."

"How can you even say that?" Clarke demands. "Finn was the first person to find you and offer peace. He's been your friend. You'd be willing to sacrifice his life without hesitation?"

"He massacred my village!" Lincoln's voices rises slightly. "They dead were my friends too. Families have been ripped apart because of his actions. You'd want the same thing if it were the other way around, Clarke."

"But that isn't who Finn is! You know that!"

"It is now." Lincoln's jaw clenches, his eyes dark. "We've all got monsters inside of us, Clarke. That makes us responsible when it's released."

"What will they do to him?" asks Abby, voice low.

"It'll start with fire, because he killed the innocent."

"Starts?" Clarke whispers.

"His hands will be taken," murmurs Lincoln, staring down, "along with his tongue and eyes. After that, anyone who grieves will have a turn with a knife. At sunrise, the Commander will end it with her sword, but I've never heard of anyone surviving until then. He killed eighteen people. He will suffer the pain of eighteen deaths, and only after that we can have peace."

Horror boils at the pit of Clarke's stomach. She can't let that happen to Finn, it would be torture.

"We have to get him out of here, somewhere safe," says Bellamy, ignoring Lincoln. "If the people hear about this, there'll be uproar. They'll turn against Finn in a heartbeat if it means they get to live."

Clarke nods, already forming a plan in her head. "Okay," she says confidently, "okay. All we have to do is get him to the dropship. At least there, we keep the fight away from our people."

Bellamy nods his agreement. "Okay, you find Finn and take him to the dropship. We'll meet you there when it's safe to get away."

But Abby intervenes. "Clarke, you can't run off! If those grounders find you with Finn, they'll kill you both."

Clarke looks evenly into her mother's eyes. "Guess that's a risk I'm willing to take." She turns back to Bellamy. "Meet us there as soon as you can."

Before anyone can say another word, Clarke leaves the tent, sucking in huge breaths of air to clear her head. She can't allow her emotions to get in the way; keeping Finn alive is her only priority.

She finds him in his tent, despite her instructions, and Raven is nowhere to be seen. "Where's Raven?" she questions, but then changes her mind. "That's not important. Listen, Finn, we have to get you out of here."

"Why?" he asks, and the way he stares at her sends pain throughout her chest.

"They'll kill you," she whispers.

Finn smiles sadly. "Maybe that's what I deserve."

"No, it's not!" Clarke says angrily, thankful for the change in emotion.

"Yes, it is," he insists, "for what I've done."

"How can you say that? You were trying to save our people!"

He shakes his head. "It was _you_ I was trying to save, Princess, because I'm in love with you. When I thought they took you, something inside of me changed. I knew I'd do anything to get you back, make sure you were safe."

"Finn…" Clarke doesn't know how to respond. The weight of Finn's sanity, and the death of those innocent people, weighs heavily on her shoulders.

"Everything that's happened," he continues, "everything I've done…all that matters now is that you're okay. That you forgive me."

Clarke looks away. "Please," she says, "come with me."

But before he can respond, loud chanting sounds from outside. They both rush out and see grounders in the distance, calling out.

"Let's go."

Finn reaches the dropship, breathing hard. Clarke lies heavy and bleeding in his arms, unconscious. He hurries inside and is surprised to see Bellamy and Raven already there.

"Thank god!" Raven says, hurrying over to him as he sets Clarke down gently. "What happened?"

"Grounders," he pants. "She hit her head pretty hard."

Bellamy knelt down beside her, tugging bandages out of his backpack. "She'll be fine," he says, when she starts to stir.

"We'll figure this out," Raven assure Finn, who paced back and forth anxiously, staring down at Clarke.

He stopped to give Raven a look. "That's what she said, right before I almost got her killed."

Clarke groans, and her eyes open slowly as she reaches up to rub her head. "Damn, that hurts."

"Are you okay?" Finn asks immediately, kneeling down and holding her hand.

She nods slowly, but the cracking of branches has them all getting to their feet. Bellamy hurries outside with his gun raised. "Don't come out," he calls to the others. "Grounders! We're surrounded."

"Dammit," Raven mutters.

"Okay, I have a plan," says Finn, and Bellamy pokes his head in to listen. "We have to defend this place; it's all we can do. You three, guard the front gate. I'll take the lower level. Got it?"

They all nod mutely, still unsure but prepared to fight. Bellamy heads outside and Clarke reaches down into her back, but Raven pulls Finn in for a tight hug. They may have had their ups and down, but they're family.

"May we meet again," Finn murmurs in her ear.

Raven pulls back. "We will," she says firmly.

He nods, offering a small smile for comfort. When she follows Bellamy out, Clarke turns to look at him, fighting the tears to he won't see how weak she is.

"Be careful," he pleads.

"You too."

Once outside, Clarke, Bellamy, and Raven take their positions, making sure to stay low. There's no sign of movement, so they wait, guns held in front of them. Then the sound of footsteps puts them all on alert.

Finn appears, walking from around the drop ship to stand right outside the makeshift gate.

"No," Clarke says to herself, getting up quickly.

He turns around to meet all of their frightful gazes before landing his eyes on Clarke, expressing everything he feels for her in that single look. Slowly his hands reach up to interlock behind his head in surrender.

"No!" screams Clarke, but it's too late. Grounders appear out of nowhere and take hold of him, dragging him away roughly.

"No…" she whispers, feeling utterly hopeless as he's taken away from her.

6


	4. Unjustifiable

Chapter Four

"There has to be a way to get him back!" Raven cries for the tenth time, staring at Clarke's pacing form.

Her words go ignored. Clarke is wrapped up in her despairing head, trying and failing to think of some way to save Finn. Why, _why_ would he give himself up so easily? He should've fought for his life! Fought to stay with her…

But deep down Clarke understands why. No matter what person Finn turned into at that village, his heart is kind and gentle. He wouldn't risk the lives of everyone at the Ark, when only his life needed to be taken. The thought brings tears to Clarke's eyes.

"Why are you crying?" demands Raven, fighting back her own emotions as she stares angrily at Clarke, arms folded tightly across her chest. "We need to come up with a plan! Come on, Clarke, snap out of it!"

"Hey!"

Bellamy comes running into the tent, breathing heavily. "You guys need to come out here. Now!"

Clarke and Raven follow closely behind Bellamy out of the tent and towards the front gate. Every single person from the Ark is out here, watching the camp opposite them with fearful eyes. Even in the darkness of night, the army of grounders is easily distinguishable in the distance. Fires have been lit all up and down the field, illuminating a ten-foot thick wooden pole right across from where the sky people stand.

"What is that?" Raven whispers, staring as grounders work on the pole, tying something around it.

Clarke swallows with difficulty. "They're getting it ready for Finn. We're meant to watch everything that happens to him."

"We're going to get him back," Bellamy says in a hard, determined voice. "We find a way to get close enough, and then hit them with everything we have!"

"Bellamy…" says Kane, old chancellor of the Ark, " there are a couple hundred of us, and _thousands_ of them. Even if we could take out as many as we can, they'd still kill this entire camp and Finn would still die."

"We have to try!"

"Abby," pleads Raven desperately, "we have to do something. We can't just stand here and watch them bleed him to death!"

But Abby gives her a sorrowful look. "No, Raven," she says heavily, "there's nothing more we can do."

Tears fall down Raven's face as she looks back towards the grounders, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides.

Clarke can't handle listening to this anymore. It's not in her to just do nothing, not with Finn's life on the line. She walks further down the fence with determination, towards the entrance. Her mother makes no move to stop her, but Bellamy and Raven are at her heels.

"Here, take this," says Clarke, shoving her gun into Bellamy's hands without glancing at him.

"What are you going to do, Clarke?" he demands.

"I'm going to have a talk with the Commander."

"What else can you say to her?"

"I don't know," admits Clarke, "but I have to try something."

"Give me your hand," says Raven, reaching in her pocket.

Confused, Clarke does as she's told. Raven stands right in front of her and slips something cool and metallic up her sleeve, face wiped of emotion when she says, "If she won't let him go, kill her."

Bellamy and Clarke both stare at her like she's gone crazy.

"When things get chaotic, we'll come in and grab you both. Clarke!" she says fiercely when the blonde doesn't meet her eyes, "you're the only one who can save him now. Please, I owe him my life."

When Clarke looks into her eyes, she sees so much emotion for the boy they both love. Seeing this, she knows that she can't say no to the mechanic; they'd both do anything to save him.

Clarke nods once before taking her hand out of Raven's and turns around to head through the gate, starting for the grounder camp with a spinning head. Deep down, Clarke knows that killing Lexa—not that she knows if it's even possible—there's no way she'd get out alive. Finn, maybe, but only if the grounders are fully focused on her.

When she reaches the bottom of the hill, dozens of grounders come to meet her, some on horses and holding torches. They all stare her down through black, freakish masks, and at first Clarke hesitates, but they make no move to attack her, so she continues forward. She feels very naked, what with being weaponless while they hold sharpened spears and swords so close to her face.

Indra meets Clarke, spear held high, when she reaches the end of the line. The sky girl doesn't stop until the knife point is close enough to touch her stomach.

"Why have you come?" Indra asks harshly.

"I'm here to talk to your Commander."

When Indra does not reply, Clarke takes a step forward until she feels a piercing pain in her abdomen. But she shows no sign that she feels any pain.

The grounder looks impressed, although she still doesn't remove her spear. It is only when a strong voice calls, "Let her pass!" does Indra lower her weapon, taking care to put pressure on Clarke's wound first.

Just beyond her stands Lexa, not far from the wooden pole made for Finn. Interest sparks in the Commander's eyes at the sight of Clarke heading towards her.

"You bleed for nothing," she says softly, glancing down at the blood showing through Clarke's gray shirt. "There is nothing you can do to stop this."

"But you can," says Clarke forcefully, meeting Lexa's emerald eyes with her stormy blue ones.

Lexa swallows, staring back intensely, but makes no comment.

At that moment, yells and chants sound in the distance, followed by a horn being blown into the night. More grounders are arriving, except they have a tied and bleeding Finn within their grasps. Clarke's heart clenches painfully when their eyes meet, and when she sees the acceptance in the small smile he gives her.

"He loves you."

Clarke turns around to look at Clarke, and she doesn't understand the look she is given. But no time to dwell on the confusing looks the young leader gives her.

"You can stop this if you really want to," she tells Lexa. "Show my people how powerful you are. Show them your mercy. You are not a savage, Lexa."

For a moment, Clarke thinks she is actually considering it, but then her face hardens and she is no longer Lexa the person. She becomes Lexa the Commander once more.

"We are what we are," Lexa breaths.

Ten feet from them, the grounders slam Finn's back against the pole and he grunts in pain. They tie robes tightly around his wrists and nail the end of the robe above his head. His shirt rides up his stomach slightly and he groans from the pain. Clarke can't stand to see him like this. She becomes desperate.

"What about me?" she asks, trying one last time. "I'm just as much a killer as Finn. I _burned_ three hundred of your people without blinking an eye. I put my knife to a man's throat and slit it, watching him die. I am soaked in Grounder blood. Take me instead!"

Lexa narrows her eyes at Clarke. "You would give your life for him?"

"Yes," says Clarke at once.

The Commander closes her eyes briefly. "But Finn is guilty."

"But he did it for me!" Clarke cries, her voice breaking at the end. "He did it for me…"

Her eyes open, fiercely alive. "Then he dies for you."

It hits Clarke, the realization that she won't be able to save Finn from the grounders, not without the results ending in bloodshed of her people. She can't allow that to happen; she needs to keep them safe, if meaning she must let Finn go. Looking over at him, he looks so scared for the inevitable fate. Clarke knows what she has to do.

"Can I say goodbye?" she asks hoarsely, glancing up to see Lexa give a small nod.

Clarke makes her way over to Finn, her body weighing down heavily. She refuses to look over at the Ark, at the faces of those believing in her to save Finn. As she gets closer, he removes his gaze from the grounders and focuses his entire attention on her, pushing down the fear threatening to consume him.

"Hey—" he tries to say, but Clarke doesn't give him time for words.

She takes his face into her hands and presses her lips to his with everything in her. Finn kisses her back just as fiercely, conveying all the love he feels for her through the only contact he will ever have with her again. Clarke feels his tears against her fingers, wiping them away gently as she strokes his cheeks.

She finally breaks away from his lips to lean her head into his neck, taking comfort in all that is Finn.

"I love you too," she whispers into his ear, feeling his forehead lean against the side of hers.

"I'm scared," he admits into her hair, breathing her in.

"You'll be okay." Cool metal grazes her fingers. "You'll be okay," Clarke repeats, and slowly but with ease, she pushes the knife into his stomach.

He trembles and shakes in pain, although he doesn't make a sound. "You're okay," she assures him while his breaths quicken.

"Thanks, Princess." Finn's head falls limply against her shoulder as he stops breathing altogether.

Clarke backs away from his lifeless body with tears streaming silently down her face, clutching the knife that drips his blood. Explosions of heartfelt pain seizes throughout her body while she stares at his limp form, unable to believe what she just did. When she turns her head to meet eyes with the Commander, the other girl looks at her in shock. She clearly didn't expect Clarke to kill the boy she loved.

When the other grounders finally notice the pool of blood at Finn's feet, they raise their weapons and call out angrily, making to attack Clarke, but Lexa raises her hand.

"It is done," she calls to her people.

In the distance, Raven's cries travel all the way across the field. Bellamy tries to hold her up as she sags into him, screaming, "No!" Clarke feels the pain travel into her very skin, but she is voice of emotion. When Finn's life died away, so did her spirit.

She walks forward numbly, barely feeling the eyes of every grounder as they stare at her. When she gets closer to Lexa, she is stopped.

"Go through there," says the Commander, nodding her head towards a tent. "Wash yourself. I will send for some of your people to join you before we talk."

Clarke doesn't say anything, just follows the instructions she's told. Once inside, she collapses next to a basin filled with water, staring at the complete stranger reflecting back. This has to be a stranger, for Clarke would never look so empty, so…dead. She glances down at the hand that still clutches the knife, closing her fist around it completely until it draws blood, mingling with Finn's. Realizing what she's doing, Clarke lets it go quickly and it clatters to the ground.

She killed Finn. Killed him. Clarke promised Raven nothing was going to happen to him, and then her hand was the one that resulted in his demise. A small voice in the back of her head tries to explain how it was for the best, that the grounders would've drawn out his death so painfully, and that she did him a favor. But it doesn't seem to be justifiable to her; Clarke really is a murderer.

5


End file.
